Lesung McManus

On the 22nd of October the American author Karen M. McManus visited our school to present her first two novels One of Us Is Lying and Two Can Keep a Secret - both of them thrilling novels written for teenagers.

The fact that a New York Times Bestseller author would come to our school to be reading from her book was already quite exciting, even though most of us did not know her.

Immediately after the reading began you could get a sense of that American coolness Karen M. McMagnus brought with her to Germany.

It started right off with some questions by the moderator Shelly Kupferberg, which Karen Mc Manus answered in a very empathic and informative way. Thanks to the preparation of some students we had a very cozy set-up on the stage of our Assembly Hall, creating an informal and friendly atmosphere. Although the author herself was present, the actual reading was in German read out by the actor Lina. By the time the second reading had started we were a bit confused about which book the passages had been taken from – but it quickly became clear.

The characters seemed reliable and versatile. The conflicts they had added tension you could already feel in those few extracts.

The reading was a full success and subsequently many of us asked questions. The author was very pleasant and we got a good sense of what the book and the writing process is like. I hope that there will be more events like that at our school but next time maybe more passages in English.

Clara Salditt and Anna Kupsch (sixth formers – year 12)

Fotos von Sabine Wiggert